HC Students benefit from college admission officer visits

It doesn’t matter how much students want to ignore it, college is approaching. In order to stay ahead and keep stress levels as low as possible, it is important to take advantage of the resources that are available.

One of the most important things about making college plans is to visit those institutions that you might want to attend. Students are given three excused absences their junior year, and five excused absences their senior year.

“I started out at the University of Kentucky,” HC Counselor Joshua Edwards said. “It wasn’t the right fit for me, and I didn’t realize that until my first year there.”

If you can, always try to visit several different schools of different kinds. You may realize that what you thought you wanted isn’t at all what you really might like.

“I got a feel for what I’m looking for in a college campus and how college life really is,” HC Senior Emily Guilford said. “When I visited Lipscomb, I even got to sit in on an Exercise Science class.”

Even if someone isn’t necessarily in love with a school after they visit, it doesn’t mean that the visit wasn’t worth while. A student learns about themselves and what they might want at another school based on what they might not have at another.

“I’ve learned a lot about the admissions process and requirements from different schools,” HC Junior Emma Tucker said. “I also have learned that I prefer mid-sized schools.”

However, some students aren’t able to physically attend a visit at the school of their choice. For that reason, HC provides opportunities to take college visits that don’t even require you to leave the school. Admissions counselors from several schools come to HC to provide information about their school to students. There is a binder in the counseling office that provides the dates and times of the colleges that are visiting.

If a rising junior has friends that are seniors, students who have already completed their college visits, they should take advantage and ask questions about the application process, what to look for in a college or anything else they may be curious about. This shows a different perspective than a parent’s or counselor’s.

“Apply early, write your essays early,” Guilford said. “Don’t wait until the last minute.”

Even if students don’t want to admit it, their future (with or without college plans) is coming and preparation is necessary.